World’s 500 most Influential Muslims in 2012 (particularly from India and Pakistan)

Well this years worlds 500 most influential Muslims list is out which is done by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center of Jordan. The report is issued in cooperation with Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at George Town University in the United States. The list was first published in 2009 and since then it is published annually. The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center is an independent research entity affiliated with the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought which is headquartered in Amman. The books chief editor, Abdallah Schleifer, who is a professor emeritus at the American University in Cairo in the book’s Introduction talks about the euphoric romance of the Tahrir Square, the Syrian uprising & the insurgency, the intervention in Libya, the Arab-Iranian cold war undergoing currently, the rise of Turkey, Muslim Brotherhood & Salafis and also about the Facebook generation, as how they have influenced the Muslim world. The editor tells us that more western Muslims have made into the list than expected but explains that the book is not about the Most Influential Muslims in the Muslim world only but Most Influential in the whole World so the Muslims residing in west have greater role in allaying the fears of any proverbial Clash of Civilizations for a peaceful Common World. It needs to be mentioned that American Muslims have dominated the list for the first time in four years since it began its publication. The book points out that it is to ascertain the influence some Muslims have on this community, or on behalf of the community. Further the book says that, ‘The influence can be of a religious scholar directly addressing Muslims and influencing their beliefs, ideas and behavior or it can be of a ruler shaping the socio-economic factors within which people live their lives, or of artists forming popular culture.’

       The publication has selected Muslims from a range of categories of influence which are 13 in number. These are :-

1. Scholarly
2. Political
3. Administration of Religious Affairs
4. Preachers and Spiritual Guides
5. Philanthropy/Charity and Development
6. Social Issues
7. Business
8. Science and Technology
9. Arts and Culture
10. Qur’an Reciters
11. Media, Celebrities
12. Sports
13. Radicals                                                                                                                        

              Most of the top 50 slots are dominated by Political & Religious figures with all of top 10 being Political and Religious figures. The top position was maintained by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud who is holding this spot continuously for last 4 years due to the vast influence as proclaiming himself the Custodian of Holy cities of Mecca & Medina, being the controller of globes largest oil reserves & heading the worlds largest Daawa network promoting the Salafism. He is followed by Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is numbered as second due to his charisma in driving his country to success. At 3rd position is Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, a descendant of Holy Prophet (SAW) and has been talked as someone who successfully blended reforms & evolution not a revolution for his country. Fourth place went to Dr Mohammed Badie, a veterinary pathologist, the supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood at present. At 5th place is Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani who is more known for the establishment of Al Jazeera Network. At 6th position is Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei & at 7th is King Of Jordan who is the custodian of Holy Sites in Jerasulem also. Sheikh Al-Azhar Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayeb is numbered at 8. Indonesian president who is also a pop singer is numbered at 9 & Turkish spiritual preacher & thinker, Fatehullah Gullen, a follower of Said Nursi is listed at number 10. His Gullen Network has considerable influence in Turkish society which also run the Turkish newspapers, ‘Zaman’ & ‘Todays Zaman’ besides a bank & a TV & Radio Channel. Others in Top 50 include :

• Muhammad Morsi Isa Al-Ayyat
  Egypt
• Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id Aal Sa’id
  Oman
• Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hussein Sistani
  Iraq
• Sheikh Dr Ali Goma’a
  Egypt
• General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
  United Arab Emirates
• Sheikh Dr Yusuf Al Qaradawi
  Qatar
• Amir Hajji Muhammad Abd Al Wahhab
  Pakistan
• H.E. Sheikh Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah Aal Al Sheikh
  Saudi Arabia
• Dr K.H. Said Aqil Siradj
  Indonesia
• Sheikh Salman Al Ouda
  Saudi Arabia
• H.E. Sheikha Munira Qubeysi
  Syria
• Sheikh as Sultan Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar III
  Nigeria
• Sheikh Ahmad Tijani bin Ali Cisse
  Senegal
• President Abdullah Gül
  Turkey
• Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah
  Brunei
• Mufti Muhammad Akhtar Raza Khan Qaadiri Al Azhari
  India
• Sheikh Muhammad Sa’id Ramadan Al-Bouti
  Syria
• Seyyed Hasan Nasrallah
  Lebanon
• H.E. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah
  Mauritania
• Mohammad bin Mohammad Al-Mansour
  Yemen
• Shah Karim Al Hussayni
  France
• Justice Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Usmani
  Pakistan
• Sheikh Mohammad Ali Al Sabouni
  Syria
• Dr Amr Khaled
  Egypt
• President Mahmoud Abbas
  Palestinian Territories
• Habib Umar bin Hafiz
  Yemen
• Queen Rania Al Abdullah
  Jordan
• Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser Al-Missned
  Qatar
• Professor Dr M Din Syamsuddin
  Indonesia
• Maulana Mahmood Madani
  India
• Habib Ali Zain Al Abideen Al Jifri
  United Arab Emirates
• Sheikh Hamza Yusuf Hanson
  United States of America
• Professor Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu
  Turkey
• Professor Dr Seyyed Hossein Nasr
  United States of America
• Sheikh Mehmet Nazim Adil Al-Qubrusi Al-Haqqani
  Cyprus
• Sheikh Professor Dr Mustafa Ceric
  Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri
  Saudi Arabia
• Khaled Mashaal
  Palestinian Territories
• Dr Aref Ali Nayed
  Libya
• Timothy Winter (Sheikh Abdal-Hakim Murad)
  United Kingdom

          From the subcontinent, at 17th position is the 89-year-old Amir (leader) of Pakistan’s Tablighi Jamaat, Hajji Abd Al Wahhab.

           At 26th position is Mufti Muhammad Akhtar Raza Khan Qaadiri Al Azhari, a Barelwi Leader and Spiritual Guide from India having given over 5000 rulings till date.

           At 32nd position is Justice Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Usmani, a leading scholar of Islamic jurisprudence of Deoband school of thought from Pakistan.

           At 40th position is Maulana Mahmood Madani, Leader and Executive Member of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, India.

           Also American Muslim Scholar, Shaikh Humza Yusuf is ranked at 42nd, the leading American Muslim in the list.

           Among the Honorable mentions, Dr Tahir ul Qadri, Dr Zakir Naik, Tariq Ramadan & Sheikh Al Sudais are there in the list.

           In the Scholarly list include – Allama Zia al-Mustafa Sahib who has been nominated as successor of Mufti Akhar Raza Khan, Asghar Ali Engineer, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, Bahauddeen Muhammed Jamaluddeen Nadwi & Maulana Kalbe Saqiq, all from India. From Pakistan, Dr Tahir ul Qadri, Dr Akbar Ahmed, Dr Farhat Hashmi & Grand Ayutullah Muhammad Hussain Najafi are included. Besides them, Shaykh Ninowy, Tariq Ramadan, Shaykh Muhammad Al Yaqoubi, Shaykh Imdad Hussain & Ingrid Mattson are also included.

         Among the Politicos, Ahmedinejad, Khatami, Larijani, Major Jaffri, Mir Hossein Mossavi, Jalili Saeed, Dr Masoumeh & Dr Zahra are from Iran. Sirajjudin Haqqani, Hekmatyar, Hamid Karzai & Mullah Omar are from Afghanistan. Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani & Imran Khan are from Pakistan. From UK, its Lord Nazir & Lady Sayeeda Warsi

          In the list of Administration & Religious Affairs, Shaykh Aboobackar Ahmed, VC of Sunni Cultural Center in Kerala & Sayeed Ibrahimul Khaleel Al-Bukhari, patron Ma’din Academy, are from India. From Pakistan it is Ameer Jamaateislami Pakistan, Syed Munawar Hassan & Dr Anwar Hussain Siddiqui.

           In the List of Preachers & Spiritual Guides, from India they are Allama Qammaruzamman Azmi of Barelvi school of thought, Syeddna Burrhanudin of Bohra faith, Dr Zakir Naik & Professor Syed Ameen Miyan Qadri of Barkatiya Silsila. From Pakistan, Dr Ahmed Rafique Akhtar, Maulana Shah Hakeem Akhtar, a sufi scholar, Sheikh Muhammad Ilyas Qadri, patron of Dawateislami, Maulana Tariq Jameel of Tablighi Jamaat & Shaikh Muhammad of IIPC. From UK, it is Pir Allauddin Siddiqui (actually from Mirpur, Kashmir), Shaykh Abd alQadir As Sufi & Abd al Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq. Others include Yusuf Estes, Imam Suhail Webb, Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani & Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.

           In the Field of Philanthropy, Charity & Development : Azim Premji & Maulana Badruddin Ajmal from India and Abdul Sattar Edhi & Professor Dr Adib Rizvi from Pakistan.

           Under Social Issues list, Nobel Prize winners Shirin Ebadi (Iran), Tawakul Karman (Yemen), , Yunus Muhammad (Bangladesh) are included. Also Malalai Jolla from Afghanistan, Salman Khan of famed Khan Academy from USA & Dalia Mogahed, a senior analyst at Gallup Center for Muslim Studies in USA are in the list.

            In the Business List, Bakr Bin-Laden of famed Bin Laden Constructions of Saudi, Iranian Business-Woman Anousheh Ansari, Prince Abdul Waleed Bin Talaal, Sri Indrwati of Indonesia & Dr M El Erian, CEO of PIMCO from USA are included.

            In Science & Technology list, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam from India, Dr Ali Akbar Salehi from Iran & Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan from Pakistan who are all nuclear scientists are in it. Also from Pakistan is co-ordinator general of OIC’S COMSTECH, Ata ur Rehman. Turkey’s Adnan Akhtar, more famously known as Harun Yahya is also in the list.

             In Arts & Culture List, from India are Music Composer AR Rehman, Actors Shahrukh Khan & Irrfan Khan. From Pakistan former Pop Singer Junaid Jamshed, Qawalli singer Abida Parveen, & famous reciter of naats, Owais Raza Qadri are found. Also Zain Bhika, Maher Zain, Sami Yusuf & Yusuf Islam are the popular singers in the list.

             In the Quran Reciters, none from subcontinent has made it into the list.

             In the Media List, Wadda Khanfar ex DG of Al Jazeera, Red Capped self-styled Defense Analyst, Zaid Hamid from Pakistan, & Mir Shakil ur Rehman, owner of Pakistan’s biggest media network, the Geo/Jang Group, Asif Maandvi, Saad Mohseni, Riz Khan, Fareed Zakariya & Rageh Omaar are in the list.

              In the Celebrity & Sports list, Hashim Aamla, Zinedine Zidane, Fredric Kanoute, Mohammad Ali, Mo Farah and Cardio-thoracic sugeon Dr Mehmet Oz are included.

              In the Radicals list, Ayman Al Zawahairi & Hafiz Saeed are included.

   The Book concludes with talking of issues which have engulfed the Muslim World right now which are :

1. U.S. Foreign Policy in the Muslim World

2. Islamophobia

3. Circumcision Controversy – In Germany

4. Interfaith

5. Jerusalem

6. Palestinian Statehood

7. Gaza

8. Massacre of the Rohingya Muslims

9. Destruction of  Sufi Shrines – In Libya, Mali & Egypt

10. The Fight for Al-Azhar – Between Traditionalists & Muslim Brotherhood

11. The Integral Chairs – The International Initiative for the Islamic Integral Professorial Chairs.

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